Retro Family Lesson Time

It's so sad to me when "modern" women decide they're going to make judgement calls on women from the 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. 

Like, on a picture where the husband is sitting in an armchair reading and she's vacuuming. I heard today a comment that he's sexist. WELL, looking at the illustration (which I don't have a copy of unfortunately), it's clearly from the 1940s. Which means he's worked all day and she's a stay-at-home wife and mother. So he's tired and he's resting after being the breadwinner all day and she probably even brought him his newspaper.

The person in the conversation I was privy to paid absolutely no attention to historic context.

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Book Review: Fair as a Star by Mimi Matthews (2020)

Fair as a Star

Victorian Romantics: Book One

by Mimi Matthews

2020

✯✯✯✯✯ 

I've put off reading any of Mimi Matthews' books. It sometimes happens for me that when an author is surrounded by so much hype and enthusiasm, that I end up crushingly disappointed in their work. Thankfully, that is not the case with Fair as a Star.

She handles the topic of melancholy/clinical depression with a delicate and understanding hand. There is no cure for Beryl. There are ways to help treat the symptoms of her melancholy, but there will never be a cure, and it is not her fault that she suffers from melancholy nor is it a cry for attention. It simply is what it is and what she needs most is for someone to be understanding and compassionate during her low periods because they will happen her entire life.

That compassionate approach to clinical depression is what makes Mimi Matthews an absolute winner in my book. As someone who suffers from situational depression and has a family member who has suffered from clinical depression my entire life, I strongly relate to Beryl's story. It's hard to describe what depression feels like but emptiness is a good starting point like there is a vacuum or black hole into which all of the good things have fallen. Ms. Matthews captured that reality very well.

Why I'm rating only 4 stars instead of 5 is because I do feel that a few things were wrapped up too quickly. Like the ease of Beryl and Mark ending up together. Henry doesn't seem a very forgiving sort of person, so I was surprised at how forgiving he was in the end. BUT, I probably do him a discourtesy. He's not a truly unpleasant man but has had to be pragmatic and ruthless in order to save the family farm, as it were. And while I like Mark immensely (he's a curate so of course, I like him), I do wish we'd had a chance to know him in a deeper way.

Beryl is wonderful and I love her hobby of whitework embroidery. I didn't even know that was a thing until this book and now I'm curious. My sister embroiders but I don't think she's ever done whitework.

Overall, an excellent novel with a little bit of a Sense and Sensibility vibe. I've read novels this short before, but unfortunately, the authors tend to chop their story so ruthlessly that there is no heart left. Thankfully, that's not the case here. I've already placed more of Ms. Matthews' books on hold at my library and can hardly wait to give them a try. What I'm truly eager for, though, is the second book in this series.

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Japanese Drama Review: Seigi no Tenbin, Season One (2021)

Seigi no Tenbin (The Scales of Justice)

Country: Japan

Year: 2021

Episodes: 5 episodes, 50 minutes each

Genre: Law, Drama, Crime
Starring: Kamenashi Kazuya, Nao, Oshima Yuko, Omasa Aya, Kitayama Hiromitsu, Satoi Kenta

My Rating: ★★★★★

Click to read more of my reviews for Japanese entertainment. 

Watch Seigi no Tenbin through the fansubber's site, MiaMaw Fansubs. You can go the softsub/raw method or you can join her site as a member (go here) for access to the hard-subbed episodes. Respect the fansubber, though, and don't spread the subtitles around online, upload onto thief sites, or claim as your own.

Nao-san playing Saeki Mei-san in Seigi no Tenbin

When one division of a particular law firm loses its chief to an unexpected death, his daughter attempts to step in and fill his shoes, much to the doubt of the partners in the firm. Unfortunately, this division has never made much money, certainly not to the same extent as the other "rooms" in the firm, and the first thought is to close that division down permanently. Except that Saeki-san, recently deceased chief, already had plans to bring in new blood, and his daughter, also Saeki-san (Nao), acts on his prior decision. Takano Kazuya-san (Kamenashi Kazuya) is a fireball, bringing with him heat, passion, and a thirst for excitement in the criminal law arena. The firm partners agree to let Takano try his hand at bringing the division back up to speed, a challenge he relishes but one that won't be entirely easy since, counting him, there are now only 5 lawyers instead of the previous 14 or 15. Quite a few jumped ship after Saeki-san's death.

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When an "ISFJ" realizes they're truly an ISFP

Yamapi dancing at a party, which, yeah, of course I had to.

I retook the MBTI test associated with the 16 Personalities website, and here are the incredibly accurate and helpful results.

Okay, so there is nothing weirder than an ISFP spending more than a decade being mistyped as an ISFJ. These two personality types are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I actually thought I was just a crap ISFJ and spent so much time and effort for years trying to get better at being one. Turns out, I'M NOT ONE! I'm an ISFP, better known as the Adventurer, and oh my gosh, friends, it makes so much bloody sense!

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